CLT UPDATE
Monday, September 24, 2007
Public employee unions' greed
killing local services
Once there is new money coming in, everybody wants a
piece of it. The residential taxpayer almost never sees any relief.
For evidence of what happens when political spine yields to the demands
for more services and sweeter contracts for public employee unions, all
Kezer has to do is look a bit south and west, to Andover ...
Attend a few municipal meetings in Andover, and you come away with the
impression, just as you do in every municipality in Massachusetts, that
things are just one step from disaster; that without an override next
spring, the schools will descend into terminal mediocrity and "the
children" will be short-changed.
The teachers union, despite lavish local spending on education, is one
of the unhappiest in the region. Its leaders regularly contend that
their members are looking elsewhere for work because things are so
terrible in Andover.
If there was ever proof that "too much is never enough," it is here.
But it would be true just about anywhere. When a town or a city gets a
new source of money, it doesn't solve a thing. Elected officials are
never able to resist the pressure to meet the "desperate" needs that
immediately materialize. Everybody gets a raise. A new department gets
created. One way or another, government grows and sucks up the surplus.
I've had government leaders tell me -- off the record and on very deep
background, of course -- that they are thankful for the financial
crunches that occur every decade or so, because that is the only way
they can cut unnecessary spending or have some negotiating leverage with
the unions and still survive politically.
The Eagle-Tribune
Sunday, September 9, 2007
There's never enough gold
for those who feed at public trough
By Taylor Armerding
It’s been a five-year hiatus since its last appearance in
City Hall, but the dreaded “O” word recently resurfaced in the mayor’s chambers:
override.
Mayor David Cohen said, should all other financial recourses fail, his
administration would “seriously consider” the possibility of an override for
next fiscal year....
Fiscal 2007 turned out more positive than expected, with city revenue ringing in
at $385.4 million and expenses at $373 million, according to a financial report
recently released by the comptroller’s office.
Because of the surplus, city officials will have $8.5 million in so-called “free
cash” to play with during fiscal 2008.
Still, the boost in free cash will not save the city from what the Blue Ribbon
Commission Report, and now the mayor, call three perennial budget-busters:
health insurance, pension and energy costs....
For now, the city is still wrangling with controlling health-care, pension and
energy costs....
On May 14, pension funds were switched from city to state control in the hopes
of getting a better return on investment.
As to health-care costs, the city will not see any savings in that area until at
least fiscal 2010 because of the structure and scheduling of collective
bargaining, Cohen said.
The Newton Tab
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Playing with the ‘O’ word
As Massachusetts taxpayers are being told to dig deeper to
pay for road and bridge repairs, the Bay State’s highest-paid former employees
are raking in six-figure pension parachutes in unprecedented numbers, with 85
state retirees now earning $100,000 or more through the mail, a Herald review
found....
“It keeps getting more and more outrageous,” said Barbara Anderson of
Citizens for Limited Taxation. “People are beginning to understand that
their tax dollars are not going to schools or children or essential services,
but to help employees feed off the system.” ...
The state’s pension liability now stands at a whopping $13.3 billion -- a cost
that rivals the shortfall in funding for state bridges and roads, which face a
projected deficit of $15 billion to $19 billion over the next 20 years. A
special state commission is recommending an 11.5 cent gas tax hike and so-called
“open-road” tolls on all interstates to help pay for it.
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Pension ten$ion mounts
State taxpayers hand $100G-plus
payouts to 85 retirees
The pension beast continues to gobble up obscene chunks of
taxpayer money, and grows hungrier by the year. It’s long past time for
lawmakers to take up one of the pension reform bills that have been languishing
on Beacon Hill for years....
Asking lawmakers to reform the pension system is a little like asking them to
pass term limits. But as long as they refuse to act, we all pay.
A Boston Herald editorial
Thursday, September 19, 2007
Retire outsized pensions
Swampscott’s town employee unions walked out of what was
supposed to be a bargaining session to discuss health insurance last week.
Adam Forman, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, says he is disappointed with
the actions of the union in dealing with a plan, unanimously endorsed by
selectmen, to have town employees join the state employee group insurance plan,
administered by the commonwealth’s Group Insurance Commission.
Such action would save the town between $500,000 and $800,000 in the coming
fiscal year, Forman and many other town officials said in a joint statement
issued Monday, Sept. 17. It would also result in significant savings for a great
majority of town employees, they said.
However, 70 percent of town employees and retirees must approve the plan by Oct.
1 this year or lose eligibility for it until July 1, 2009.
Forman said the unions, represented in a joint Public Employee Committee, met
briefly and then had an attorney from the Massachusetts Teachers Association,
speaking for the group, say the employees would not bargain again until after
Oct. 1.
The Swampscott Reporter
Monday, September 17, 2007
Unions walk out of meeting on health insurance,
town says layoffs more likely
Just days after leaving health-insurance negotiations that
could determine whether the town lays off employees and slashes its budget,
union leaders returned to the table yesterday.
The reopening of negotiations means the town may be able to make an Oct. 1
deadline to join the state's insurance system, potentially saving the jobs of
some union members who wanted to resume debate in November. Town Administrator
Andrew Maylor, who informed selectmen of the rejoined labor talks, said last
night that if negotiations fail, "It could be a catastrophe." ...
Last night, selectmen pointed to the presence of the teachers union earlier that
day as a sign of progress. The teachers together control some 58 percent of the
vote, making them a critical element in passing -- or failing -- an insurance
switch that needs 70 percent approval....
Selectman Eric Walker said significant cuts could come if the insurance doesn't
pass.
"If it doesn't go through, there's going to be a tough budget in the next
cycle," Walker said.
This year, budget woes led to teacher layoffs, the closure of Machon School,
cuts across town departments that included a police officer and firefighter, and
shortened library hours.
The Salem News
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Town: Still a chance to make state-insurance deadline
Jankowska hopes [Saugus] will find new revenues during the
year for the library. She's encouraged that the town and its nine unions have
agreed, in principle, to join the state Group Insurance Commission, which unions
members must still vote on. That would save on healthcare costs, perhaps as
early as January, she said.
The Boston Globe - North edition
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Library ineligible for state grants
There's no denying the severity of Bridgewater's finances.
Last week the town began shutting down its library for the foreseeable future.
The Senior Center is slated to suffer the same fate within the next two
weeks....
Such are the choices selectmen say they are facing in the wake of the defeat
earlier this month of a $2 milion budget override.
While special Town Meeting voters will have the final say on the operational
budget when they meet the week of Oct. 8, alternatives to the selectmen's
package will be few. Department managers have already sent out layoff notices,
effective on the Town Meeting date....
The Boston Globe - South edition
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Beyond belt-tightening
Bridgewater sacrificing library,
senior center, more
Top state lawmakers said yesterday they’re ready to file
legislation to curb pension abuses after a Herald story detailed a sharp rise in
six-figure payouts to state retirees.
The leaders of a legislative committee examining pension costs said they are
weighing plans to outlaw the inclusion of housing allowances, travel expenses
and other reimbursement that former employees have used to pad their pensions.
They are also targeting the practice of double-dipping, in which employees who
work two state jobs lump their salaries together to get the maximum possible
taxpayer-funded payout.
The Boston Herald
Thursday, September 19, 2007
Lawmakers weigh system overhaul
Let me be honest. If I could retire in my 40s with a $134,578
annual pension, I’d do it, too, like retired State Trooper Thomas Robbins, 49,
or Thomas McGilvray, who’s squeezing by on a mere $108,100 at the ripe age of
47....
Will we ever get rid of deals such as these? Said Widmer yesterday, “It seems
well nigh impossible.”
You want to know who could reform state police pension deals? “The Legislature,”
said Widmer. And eliminate details? Deval Patrick.
But Patrick has said before it’s not a top priority. No surprise....
Which begs the question: How come they get to quit in their 40s?
Answer: Because politicians are scared to death of state troopers. Most any
cops, actually.
“You should see the State House whenever there’s a bill pending that (police)
unions consider threatening,” anti-tax czarina Barbara Anderson once told
me. “The place fills up with policemen in uniform -- very big policemen.”
“A sea of blue. In full regalia. And, by the way, they’re armed.” That’s how
Michael Widmer of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation described the scene
when former Gov. Bill Weld tried to get rid of another sweet police deal:
details.
The Boston Herald
Thursday, September 19, 2007
Pols too scared to act on pen$ions
By Margery Eagan
Last year I was checking whether some hack -- I believe it
was Fat Matt Amorello -- was eligible for a state pension. He wasn’t, thank
goodness. But I asked the guy at the Retirement Board how much the bloated
ex-solon would someday be able to grab for his years in what is laughably termed
public service. He gave me Fat Matt’s take at age 55. Then I asked what Fat Matt
would get if he waited a few years past 55.
“Wait?” the guy said, incredulously. “Why would he wait? Nobody ever waits if
they can get it now.”
The Boston Herald
Friday, September 21, 2007
Free money, no wait at the state pension trough
By Howie Carr
Chip Ford's CLT Commentary
We're quickly reaching the tipping point, where all
of our taxes will be going to feed what a Boston Herald editorial called
"the pension beast." Very quickly. Between their
non-negotiable demands for annual pay raises and benefits, their
unfunded pension liabilities, and their obdurate reluctance if not
outright refusal to negotiate less-costly health insurance programs like
the rest of us must, public employee unions are eating taxpayers alive.
And most of the unions are eating government budgets
down to the bare bones.
We're now closing libraries, laying off police and
firefighters and even teachers -- whose powerful and bankrolled union is
leading the charge as always for more, more, more and then some.
Whoever thought twenty or thirty years ago that we
stakeholder taxpayers would one day be working simply to provide the
lifestyle to which public employees who allegedly work for us would
become accustomed? We let it happen through attrition and their
endless grabbing for more, more, more. We let it happen by
allowing our elected "representatives" on all levels to be
unaccountable, by us not paying enough attention to where out tax
dollars were being spent. We have only ourselves and our neighbors
to blame. We let it reach this point.
It is time to halt the unions' progress right here
and now -- and that's apparently happening thanks to Proposition 2½ and
voters' ability since 1980 to "just say no." The message is being
sent in many cities and towns, and the results are making the unions'
greed unmistakable, the true "fiscal crisis" apparent.
Pay teachers more, lose a teacher to balance the
budget. Keep the union contracts status quo, lose a library or
senior center, begin paying a fee for trash pickup, eliminate policemen
and firefighters and reduce public safety.
The Law of Diminishing Returns in action is what we
have only begun to witness.
Even if we halted the greed and abuse right now,
today, this very moment, the worst is yet to come -- accumulated
unfunded pension liabilities. We'll never escape them even if we
could "freeze" them where they are. Government only freezes tax
cuts effectively. It can't freeze contracts with unions -- only
with voters.
But freeze them now we must, if there's any hope
whatsoever.
The media in general has picked up on this issue
lately. Some, especially like The Eagle Tribune Publishing
Company, has covered it for more than a decade in great detail with
exposé after exposé. The public is finally aware and responding --
a primary reason for so many override attempts failing across the state
this year: public employee abuses.
A Boston Herald editorial opines: "Asking
lawmakers to reform the pension system is a little like asking them to
pass term limits" and that's the truth. The pols are all playing
the game too and have no incentive to reform the scam from which they
hope to eventually benefit.
If state legislators weren't in office for life,
perhaps we taxpayers would stand a chance to change this crisis
situation before it totally implodes. They just hope they can get
through careers, out and onto the gravy train before it does -- and
leave the bailout to us taxpayers.
At least more citizens are waking up to the looming
meltdown and their personal liability, their personal stake in this
game. That's the first step in a long march.
 |
|
Chip Ford |
The Eagle-Tribune
Sunday, September 9, 2007
There's never enough gold
for those who feed at public trough
By Taylor Armerding
Good thing Amesbury Mayor Thatcher Kezer recognizes gold when he sees
it.
The mayor's expressed desire to develop the so-called "Golden Triangle"
-- about 155 acres bounded by Elm Street in Amesbury, Interstates 495
and 95, and Route 110 -- is both far-sighted and wise. The parcel could
be exactly what its name implies for the town -- a gold mine. It has
what real estate agents call the most important asset for commercial and
industrial buyers -- location, location and location. There's highway
access in every direction except where you don't want it -- into the
ocean.
But all that gold, even if Kezer can get a contentious Municipal Council
on board and bring it to grips with reality, will only be a temporary
fix for the financial hardships of the town if there isn't an equally
far-sighted commitment to fiscal discipline, which will take some very
long-term political spine.
Once there is new money coming in, everybody wants a piece of it. The
residential taxpayer almost never sees any relief.
For evidence of what happens when political spine yields to the demands
for more services and sweeter contracts for public employee unions, all
Kezer has to do is look a bit south and west, to Andover, which has its
own sort of golden triangle.
Andover, through the great good fortune of circumstances similar to
Amesbury, sits at the intersection of Interstates 93 and 495. It too has
location, location, location.
It has made the most of that good fortune due to some far-sighted,
intelligent planning. Town leaders had the good sense several decades
ago to zone large tracts of land close to that intersection of highways
for business and industry. Sure enough, business and industry came.
On a normal day, the population of Andover swells from the overnight,
permanent level of about 30,000 to nearly 100,000. While some of that
massive influx creates giant headaches for the residents of some
neighborhoods, most locals aren't even aware of it. The workers come in
and leave on the adjacent highways without ever clogging the downtown.
Their productivity, however, helps make those businesses successful. And
that translates to massive tax revenues for Andover.
But has any of that gold trickled down to provide residential tax
relief? Not a chance. It has been siphoned away by ever-larger
government.
Andover's budget for the current fiscal year is a staggering $122
million. By comparison, next-door neighbor North Andover, with almost
the exact same population, has a budget of about $75 million.
Yes, some of that difference is due to property values. North Andover is
not quite as upscale as Andover; but it is no downtrodden suburb either.
So, you might think everybody would be content in Andover, given that
$47 million more is being poured into public services than in the
comparable community right next door.
You would be wrong. Attend a few municipal meetings in Andover, and you
come away with the impression, just as you do in every municipality in
Massachusetts, that things are just one step from disaster; that without
an override next spring, the schools will descend into terminal
mediocrity and "the children" will be short-changed.
The teachers union, despite lavish local spending on education, is one
of the unhappiest in the region. Its leaders regularly contend that
their members are looking elsewhere for work because things are so
terrible in Andover.
If there was ever proof that "too much is never enough," it is here.
But it would be true just about anywhere. When a town or a city gets a
new source of money, it doesn't solve a thing. Elected officials are
never able to resist the pressure to meet the "desperate" needs that
immediately materialize. Everybody gets a raise. A new department gets
created. One way or another, government grows and sucks up the surplus.
I've had government leaders tell me -- off the record and on very deep
background, of course -- that they are thankful for the financial
crunches that occur every decade or so, because that is the only way
they can cut unnecessary spending or have some negotiating leverage with
the unions and still survive politically.
Amesbury doesn't have to go down that road, of course. It can learn from
what other towns have done or not done. But it will take enormous
political courage -- the kind that hasn't been seen in Massachusetts in
a very long time, if ever.
But without it, Amesbury's problems won't go away. All that gold from
the Golden Triangle will just make them bigger.
Taylor Armerding is associate editorial page editor of The
Eagle-Tribune.
The Newton Tab
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Playing with the ‘O’ word
By Leslie Friday
Newton - It’s been a five-year hiatus since its last appearance in City
Hall, but the dreaded “O” word recently resurfaced in the mayor’s
chambers: override.
Mayor David Cohen said, should all other financial recourses fail, his
administration would “seriously consider” the possibility of an override
for next fiscal year.
“Something may change drastically, but it is unlikely,” Cohen said at
his Monday, Sept. 10, press conference.
The last time Newton passed an override was in 2002, under the banner of
keeping the Garden City “safe and sound.”
Fiscal 2007 turned out more positive than expected, with city revenue
ringing in at $385.4 million and expenses at $373 million, according to
a financial report recently released by the comptroller’s office.
Because of the surplus, city officials will have $8.5 million in
so-called “free cash” to play with during fiscal 2008.
Still, the boost in free cash will not save the city from what the Blue
Ribbon Commission Report, and now the mayor, call three perennial
budget-busters: health insurance, pension and energy costs.
The mayor said he will present a report in October to the Board of
Aldermen on the city’s efforts to control spending in those three areas.
He will also include an update on what measure of state relief the city
should expect in the coming year.
“What we need from the state is a funding formula that is fair, adequate
and reliable enough to meet municipal needs on an ongoing basis,” the
mayor said.
For now, the city is still wrangling with controlling health-care,
pension and energy costs.
On May 14, pension funds were switched from city to state control in the
hopes of getting a better return on investment.
As to health-care costs, the city will not see any savings in that area
until at least fiscal 2010 because of the structure and scheduling of
collective bargaining, Cohen said.
The mayor also said that the city’s measures to cut energy costs have
not completely stemmed the tide of expenses influenced by the global
energy market.
Several hurdles have to be passed before Cohen would propose an
override: budget-busters must continue to pose a problem; state aid
would come in at an amount lower than anticipated; and department head
reports on projected revenue and expenses for the coming year would have
to paint a dire picture.
The mayor said he would announce his decision to request an override
within weeks of his October report to the board.
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Pension ten$ion mounts
State taxpayers hand $100G-plus
payouts to 85 retirees
By Casey Ross
As Massachusetts taxpayers are being told to dig deeper to pay for road
and bridge repairs, the Bay State’s highest-paid former employees are
raking in six-figure pension parachutes in unprecedented numbers, with
85 state retirees now earning $100,000 or more through the mail, a
Herald review found.
The number of annual six-figure payouts has skyrocketed by nearly 50
percent in the past two years alone -- from 57 in 2005 to 85 -- and some
of those fat checks are going to golden oldies as young as 47 years old,
state records show. Eight of those retirees are former state police
officials who are 55 or younger, including Reed Hillman, the GOP’s 2006
candidate for lieutenant governor.
“It keeps getting more and more outrageous,” said Barbara Anderson
of Citizens for Limited Taxation. “People are beginning to
understand that their tax dollars are not going to schools or children
or essential services, but to help employees feed off the system.”
The state’s pension liability now stands at a whopping $13.3 billion --
a cost that rivals the shortfall in funding for state bridges and roads,
which face a projected deficit of $15 billion to $19 billion over the
next 20 years. A special state commission is recommending an 11.5 cent
gas tax hike and so-called “open-road” tolls on all interstates to help
pay for it.
Meanwhile, pension costs continue to mount. The growth in
$100,000-per-year pensioners is the result of inflating state salaries
and more of those well-paid boomers reaching retirement age, officials
said.
The escalating costs are spurring calls for reform, with House and
Senate lawmakers probing ways to curtail the size of benefits.
The University of Massachusetts has by far the most members of the
six-figure pension club, with 50 retirees receiving $100,000 or more.
Indeed, they account for the state’s top five pensions, led by former
Red Sox team doctor and part-owner Dr. Arthur Pappas of the UMass
Medical School, who receives $232,000 a year, and former UMass President
Billy Bulger, who receives $197,500.
Some of the six-figure pension bonanzas have been bolstered by the
addition of housing allowances. Since Bulger fought successfully to add
his housing allowance, nearly 20 other state officials have followed
suit. Two ex-college administrators in the $100,000 pension club --
former Springfield Technical Community College head Andrew Scibelli and
former Holyoke Community College president David Bartley -- increased
their payments by $15,000, sparking calls for reform.
Meanwhile, facilities across the university system -- and the state in
general -- are rapidly falling into disrepair. Administrative buildings
are plagued by leaky roofs and malfunctioning heating systems, and
laboratories and classrooms are badly outdated.
UMass officials are planning to spend $2.9 billion over the next five
years to try to catch up with repairs and build new facilities.
A spokesman for the university system said funds for pensions and
capital improvements come from different pools of money and that UMass
retirees earned their benefits over long careers of service.
“UMass employees make contributions into the state pension fund, and
their benefits are calculated the same way other public employees’
benefits are calculated,” spokesman Bob Connolly said. “They are not in
a class by themselves.”
Former state police officials are by far the youngest retirees in the
state system, with two former staties under age 50 receiving pensions
over $100,000. Police officials typically start their state employment
at a younger age, and therefore meet the minimum retirement threshold of
20 years of service earlier in life.
The highest state police pension is being paid to former colonel Thomas
Robbins, 49, who stepped down after 26 years in 2006 to become chief of
the Boston University police. Another state police retiree, Thomas
McGilvray, a former major, is only 47 years old, but claims a $108,000
pension.
The Boston Herald
Thursday, September 19, 2007
A Boston Herald editorial
Retire outsized pensions
The pension beast continues to gobble up obscene chunks of taxpayer
money, and grows hungrier by the year. It’s long past time for lawmakers
to take up one of the pension reform bills that have been languishing on
Beacon Hill for years.
Yes, it’s true that the vast majority of state workers earn modest
pensions -- about $25,000 a year.
But as the Herald’s Casey Ross reported yesterday, the number of
pensioners collecting more than $100,000 a year has grown nearly 50
percent in the past two years -- from 57 in 2005 to 85.
They include, of course, former Senate and University of Massachusetts
President William Bulger, who gamed the system to inflate his golden
parachute, at $197,486. Not to be outdone, his fellow college presidents
made sure their special perks were reflected in their monthly checks.
Their names, along with state police and doctors at UMass Medical
School, are on the list, too.
And it will only get worse, as more highly-paid state workers reach
retirement age. Officials calculate the state pension liability at an
eye-popping $13.3 billion.
Meanwhile, Treasurer Tim Cahill has filed a bill to restrict a state
pension to “regular compensation,” excluding those Bulger-inspired
perks. Senate Ways and Means Chairman Steven C. Panagiotakos (D-Lowell)
wants to cap all state pensions at $125,000.
And that doesn’t even begin to address the problem of double-dipping by
officials like Convention Center authority chief James Rooney and former
MBTA general manager Michael Mulhern, each of whom collects a fat T
pension while still working highly-paid state jobs.
Asking lawmakers to reform the pension system is a little like asking
them to pass term limits. But as long as they refuse to act, we all pay.
The Swampscott Reporter
Monday, September 17, 2007
Unions walk out of meeting on health insurance,
town says layoffs more likely
By George Derringer
Swampscott’s town employee unions walked out of what was supposed to be
a bargaining session to discuss health insurance last week.
Adam Forman, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, says he is disappointed
with the actions of the union in dealing with a plan, unanimously
endorsed by selectmen, to have town employees join the state employee
group insurance plan, administered by the commonwealth’s Group Insurance
Commission.
Such action would save the town between $500,000 and $800,000 in the
coming fiscal year, Forman and many other town officials said in a joint
statement issued Monday, Sept. 17. It would also result in significant
savings for a great majority of town employees, they said.
However, 70 percent of town employees and retirees must approve the plan
by Oct. 1 this year or lose eligibility for it until July 1, 2009.
Forman said the unions, represented in a joint Public Employee
Committee, met briefly and then had an attorney from the Massachusetts
Teachers Association, speaking for the group, say the employees would
not bargain again until after Oct. 1.
“The attorney, as I understand it, said the group was concerned that
they would not have time to educate their constituents before Oct. 1,”
Forman said in an interview with the Reporter. “She also the group
believes there should be some concessions from the town.”
In the absence of any agreement, Forman said, “If the unions don’t
change their stance, it will take what was going to be a very
challenging budget cycle next spring and make it a very, very
challenging budget cycle.”
Forman said that while selectmen are unable to “guarantee” there won’t
be any town employee layoffs if employees join the state GIC health
plan. “An absence of these saving significantly increases the odds of
cuts in town services and layoffs next year.”
He said the joint statement, signed by all four sitting selectmen and a
majority of the Finance Committee and Capital Improvements Committee, is
intended to “inform the public of an important development” and to
encourage Swampscott residents who are in the state health insurance
plan to speak to their friends, relatives and neighbors about it.
For now, Forman said, Town Administrator Andrew Maylor has posted a
meeting with the union representatives for Thursday, Sept. 20, hoping
that the town and the unions will resume their effort to reach an
agreement.
The statement:
Here is the full text of the statement issued by town officials.
Portions in bold were in bold in the original document:
“We have some disappointing news to report.
“On September 12, 2007, representatives of various unions in town
decided that they would no longer continue to discuss participation in
the state’s health insurance program until after October 1, 2007. This
decision prevents the town from participating in this important program
until fiscal year 2010 (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010).
“The result is that the town will not be able to capitalize on savings
of between $500,000 and $800,000 next year alone, significantly
increasing the odds of further reductions in town services and staff.
Despite the unions’ lack of cooperation, the town administrator has
noticed another session for September 20, and we write this letter to
urge the unions and their representatives to attend this meeting and
continue discussions.
“Let’s review what’s happened, and how we got here.
“August 7 —The Board Of Selectmen votes to pursue participation in the
state’s health insurance program.
“In late July, Governor Deval Patrick signed legislation that allows
municipal employees to participate in the state’s health insurance
program (otherwise known as the “GIC”). On August 7, the Board of
Selectmen voted to accept the state statute and the next day the town
administrator sent the 30-day notice required by law to schedule a
bargaining session with the unions.
“In so doing, the town became one of the first municipalities in the
commonwealth to pursue this program. The first formal meeting with the
Public Employee Committee (“PEC”) was scheduled (and held) on Sept. 12.
The PEC consists of representatives of the various employee unions in
town, including the police, fire, teachers, public works and clerical
unions (along with a retiree representative).
“August 8 — The town administrator holds an informal meeting with union
representatives in advance of the first bargaining session in September.
By law, an agreement must be reached by October 1.
“The town administrator also scheduled and held an informal meeting with
union representatives on Aug. 8 and he provided them with information
about the state program and its products, and encouraged everyone to
review the program Web site (www.mass.gov/gic). This informal
non-bargaining session was scheduled to provide union representatives
with information about the program so they could educate themselves and
union employees well in advance of the formal bargaining process set to
begin on Sept. 12.
“In order for the town and its union employees to participate in the
state program, a weighted vote of 70 percent of the PEC must approve.
This 70 percent approval must be obtained by Oct. 1, 2007, as that is
the final date by which the town can notify the state that it intends to
participate for the coming fiscal year (July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009).
“September 12 — The town administrator and union representatives
formally meet. the union representatives decide to end discussions until
after Oct. 1, which would prevent the town from participating in the
insurance program for the next fiscal year.
“It was the town’s expectation that the formal Sept. 12 meeting would
mark the start of a serious and ongoing bargaining process in an effort
to reach a written agreement on employee participation in the program by
Oct. 1. Instead, after some preliminary discussions, the PEC caucused
separately and then informed the town administrator that they had agreed
not to continue the bargaining process any further until after Oct. 1,
and suggested that the parties meet on Nov. 5, 2007.
“In addition to having its local representative present, the teachers
union was also represented by an attorney for the Massachusetts Teachers
Association (“MTA”), and this person served as the spokesperson for the
PEC.
“By taking the position that it would not meet again until after Oct. 1,
2007, the PEC prevents the town from participating in the state
insurance program until fiscal year 2010 at the earliest (July 1, 2009
to June 30, 2010). The PEC’s refusal to even bargain with the town until
after Oct. 1 is simply not fair to any of the parties involved in this
process. There is too much at stake here.
“The town’s participation in the program is critically important.
“Participation in this program is absolutely critical if we are to stand
a chance to avoid painful cuts in services and personnel in the next
fiscal year. Health care costs incurred by the town have escalated
precipitously and impose a significant cost increase each year. In fact,
health care costs have increased by as much as 20 percent per year at
times (twice in the last six years), and have far outpaced the 2.5 to 3
percent increase in revenue the town can typically expect without an
override.
“The numbers are startling. If the town is able to participate in the
state program, it is likely to save in excess of $500,000 in reduced
health care costs in the upcoming fiscal year, and could save as much as
$800,000.
“If the town does not participate in this program, we could once again
face projected health care cost increases of approximately 20 percent.
If realized, that would mean additional expenses of close to $900,000.
That $900,000 increase in expenses would essentially use up most of the
approximately $1.2 million in discretionary spending that the town
typically can expect each year within the limits of Proposition 2-1/2.
This would leave the town without the resources to pay for other
increases in fixed costs over which we have very little control.
“Our participation in the state health insurance plan does not guarantee
that there will be no lay-offs or cuts. However, without the savings
generated by this program we will almost certainly face many more
painful personnel and services cuts at a time when such measures have
already had a significant impact on the town. We cannot wait for a
budget crisis before taking action.
“Participation in the insurance program will collectively save the union
employees hundreds of thousands of dollars in health insurance premiums
in the next fiscal year alone.
“The most puzzling aspect of the unions’ decision is that the state
insurance program is truly a win-win situation economically. The vast
majority of union employees (95 percent) will benefit from significantly
reduced insurance premium costs, and collectively they will save
hundreds of thousands of dollars in the next fiscal year alone.
“For example, the Town pays 60 percent of employee health care premiums,
while employees pay the remaining 40 percent. An employee who currently
has HMO Blue with Blue Cross/Blue Shield can expect to save $2,085 in
premium costs for fiscal year 2009 (starting July 1, 2008) under a
comparable Harvard Pilgrim PPO product offered under the state plan.
“Using a product comparison done by the MTA’s own consultant, it is
clear that the savings for some employees will be even greater. For
instance, an employee who now has a Blue Choice Plan 2 product pays
about $9,398.54 for his or her share of the premium for a family plan.
Under a comparable Harvard Pilgrim PPO product, the employee would pay
$5,540.88 as his or her share of the premium. That represents a savings
of $3,857.66.
“These significant savings translate into additional disposable income
for individual employees. For example, the teachers’ union recently
signed a new contract that provides them with raises of 3 percent, 3
percent and 4 percent over three years. Using the above estimates, by
participating in the state plan many teachers will see their disposable
income increase in the next fiscal year by over $2,000 (and some much
more than that).
“These teachers will effectively see an increase in disposable income of
3 to 4 percent (or more) over and above their bargained-for pay raises.
This same increase in disposable income is available to many other union
employees.
“Another meeting has been scheduled for September 20, and it is
important that we at least try to reach an agreement.
“The reality here is that the town and its employees are presented with
an opportunity that neither can afford to let slip away. The town
administrator has “noticed” another bargaining session for Sept. 20,
2007. He has done so with the expectation that the town and the PEC will
continue their efforts to reach an agreement.
“We urge all union representatives to attend and to continue the
bargaining process with the expectation of reaching an agreement by Oct.
1. At the very least we have an obligation to try. We owe each other
that much.
Individually endorsed by:
Adam Forman (Chairman, Board of Selectmen)
Anthony Scibelli (Vice chairman, Board of Selectmen)
Marc Paster (Board of Selectmen)
Eric Walker (Board of Selectmen)
Cynthia McNerney (Chairwoman, Finance Committee)
Thomas Dawley (Finance Committee)
Jeremy Davis (Finance Committee)
Rand Folta (Finance Committee)
Michael Callahan (Finance Committee)
Don Pinkerton (Finance Committee)
Debby Fox (Finance Committee)
Cynthia Merkle (Chairwoman, Capital Improvements Committee)
Dave Bowen (Capital Improvements Committee)
Gino Cresta (Capital Improvements Committee)
Joe Markarian (Capital Improvements Committee)
Walter Newhall (Capital Improvements Committee)
The Salem News
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Town: Still a chance to make state-insurance deadline
By Mike Stucka
SWAMPSCOTT - Just days after leaving health-insurance negotiations that
could determine whether the town lays off employees and slashes its
budget, union leaders returned to the table yesterday.
The reopening of negotiations means the town may be able to make an Oct.
1 deadline to join the state's insurance system, potentially saving the
jobs of some union members who wanted to resume debate in November. Town
Administrator Andrew Maylor, who informed selectmen of the rejoined
labor talks, said last night that if negotiations fail, "It could be a
catastrophe."
The switch to the state's Group Insurance Commission could save the town
as much as $500,000 to $800,000 and would save 95 percent of union
members money on their premiums, Maylor has said. He also projected
budget shortfalls of as much as $660,000 for next year.
At the same time, union members and the town have had little time to
work on the issue since towns were given the option to join the state's
Group Insurance Commission system this summer. The first negotiation
session was last Wednesday, when a consultant to the Swampscott
Education Association issued a statement saying unions wouldn't be able
to come to an agreement in time.
Last night, selectmen pointed to the presence of the teachers union
earlier that day as a sign of progress. The teachers together control
some 58 percent of the vote, making them a critical element in passing
-- or failing -- an insurance switch that needs 70 percent approval.
Adam Forman, the selectmen chairman, said that "the most important
development of today is the teachers union did show up to negotiations,
and they did participate."
Last night, Forman repeated a suggestion that had angered another union
official, Carl Reardon, in an earlier meeting. Forman wants residents to
approach town employees and say their unions should make every effort to
join the state pact.
Town leaders have been careful not to promise an insurance switch, which
would avoid all cuts and they also haven't said that a failure to switch
would mean any cuts at all.
Selectman Eric Walker said significant cuts could come if the insurance
doesn't pass.
"If it doesn't go through, there's going to be a tough budget in the
next cycle," Walker said.
This year, budget woes led to teacher layoffs, the closure of Machon
School, cuts across town departments that included a police officer and
firefighter, and shortened library hours.
The Boston Globe - North edition
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Library ineligible for state grants
By Kathy McCabe
The Saugus Public Library is ineligible to receive grants from the state
Board of Library Commissioners when the panel starts doling out money
for this year.
The library's temporary closing in June, due to severe budget problems,
stripped the library of its state certification, a key requirement for
eligibility. A library must be open a minimum of 50.4 hours per week to
qualify. Although Saugus has met that requirement since Labor Day, the
state considers operating hours for the last fiscal year, which ended
June 30.
"Hours are a very big factor," said Robert Maier, executive director of
the state panel. "If they are able to maintain the 50.4 minimum this
year, then they could well receive state aid next year."
The loss comes amid a chaotic chapter for the library. A flurry of staff
resignations, including that of the longtime executive director, and
pressure to meet state operating hours has strained a beloved town
resource. Only five part-time workers staff the building, limiting the
number of departments that can be open at once. With no money to pay a
janitor, volunteers are helping to clean up after patrons.
"We're juggling everyone around," said Ewa Jankowska, the interim
director and a 14-year employee. "I have to make sure that our desks are
staffed properly for our patrons. I also have to protect the employees.
They deserve to take lunch, vacation time. I can't work without
payment."
The library's struggles are linked to the town's fiscal crunch. Saugus
faced a $5.2 million deficit for this fiscal year after voters in April
rejected a property tax increase. The library's $277,271 budget is about
one-third the amount it needs to operate at full strength, officials
say.
State library grants to Saugus are a small, but important, funding
component. In addition to the minimum operating hours, a library must
meet the state board's standards for local funding, which is linked to a
community's population. If a library falls short on either count, it can
apply for a waiver from library commissioners.
Saugus received waivers for each of the last four fiscal years, after
several rounds of budget cuts reduced operating hours. In that time, the
library received state aid totaling almost $95,000, including $22,933.62
for the 2007 fiscal year.
The sharp reduction in this year's budget led the library at first to
open for limited hours. In July, the library was open for just 15 hours
per week, and in August, 18.5 hours per week. In that time, 2,742
patrons used the facility, according to Jankowska. About one-third of
the town's 26,000 residents hold library cards.
Under pressure from the state Board of Library Commissioners, the
library took the bold leap of opening 50.4 hours per week after Labor
Day. But the budget has not increased, so the library will run out of
money in March, Jankowska said.
"It is risky," she said. "But, otherwise, we would just continue to
struggle. I am counting money very carefully."
State officials are skeptical the risk will pay off. "The fact that
they've achieved the 50.4 is a great achievement," Maier said. "But if
they run out of money . . . and the library is closed down again,
they've had only a partial achievement. They'd be right back where they
were in June."
Jankowska hopes the town will find new revenues during the year for the
library. She's encouraged that the town and its nine unions have agreed,
in principle, to join the state Group Insurance Commission, which unions
members must still vote on. That would save on healthcare costs, perhaps
as early as January, she said.
"Maybe that will bring a savings. I am really hoping we get about
$400,000, and that will put us back to our original budget. Our problems
would be solved."
Since the library lost its certification, local residents no longer can
borrow books from area libraries under the North of Boston Library
Exchange system. But libraries in two neighboring communities have
adopted special policies for Saugus residents.
Melrose is selling memberships to Saugus residents: $200 for a family,
$150 for an individual and $50 for a senior citizen. So far, about 15
memberships have been purchased, said library director Dennis J. Kelley.
"This is really an accommodation to them," Kelley said. "They can have
service, but they have to pay for it. They cannot expect the residents
of Melrose to absorb the cost of their library."
The Lynn Public Library, which briefly lost its certification three
years ago, is allowing Saugus residents to borrow books. But they cannot
request to have them shipped to Saugus. They must visit the library on
Lynn Common. So far, only a handful of residents have borrowed
materials.
"It's worked out fine," said Nadine Mitchell, chief librarian in Lynn.
"But I'm sure once things straighten out, they'll go back to their
hometown library."
The Boston Globe - South edition
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Beyond belt-tightening
Bridgewater sacrificing library, senior center, more
By Christine Wallgren
BRIDGEWATER - There's no denying the severity of Bridgewater's finances.
Last week the town began shutting down its library for the foreseeable
future. The Senior Center is slated to suffer the same fate within the
next two weeks.
Selectmen will leave just enough heating money in each budget to keep
vacant buildings' pipes from freezing. The rest of the money in the two
budgets is being rerouted, for the most part, to save fire, police, and
highway jobs.
Such are the choices selectmen say they are facing in the wake of the
defeat earlier this month of a $2 milion budget override.
While special Town Meeting voters will have the final say on the
operational budget when they meet the week of Oct. 8, alternatives to
the selectmen's package will be few. Department managers have already
sent out layoff notices, effective on the Town Meeting date.
"We have to look at making sure the public is protected as best we can,"
said selectmen chairman Herbert Lemon of the board's decision to
sacrifice the Senior Center and library to preserve public safety
budgets.
Eight firefighter positions, seven police officers, and six highway
staffers had been slated for the chopping block. Now, with the library
and Senior Center money available, layoffs in those departments may be
unnecessary.
Library closures have been rare since the early 1990s. "Saugus Library
did close briefly this spring, but they were able to reopen after six
weeks," said Nancy Rea, deputy director of the state Board of Library
Commissioners.
Bridgewater's public library stopped lending books and other materials
last Monday. It will remain open an hour or two each day this week to
allow residents to return borrowed material, and then close its doors on
Friday. Library staff, all slated to be laid off as of the special Town
Meeting, will spend the next two weeks planning for long-term closure.
Residents said good-bye to their library at a Tuesday night vigil.
"We home-school our children and use this resource," said resident Lori
Tunewicz-Gavin, who turned out, with her three children. "Now we won't
be able to use the other libraries in the . . . network either. I don't
know what we're going to do."
Trustees at most of the libraries in the regional lending network with
Bridgewater have already voted not to lend library material to patrons
whose town libraries have lost their state certification.
According to the state Board of Library Commissioners, Bridgewater
Public Library loses its certification the day it closes. Rea said a
library has to be in full compliance with all the state requirements for
a least a year before certification is granted again. Bridgewater's
library, she noted, has already required waivers from the state for
required hours of operation for the last several years.
Resident Betty Gilson, a longtime educator who is on the board of
directors for the Literacy Place in Bridgewater, said the program's
tutors often meet with their charges in the public library. "Now it will
be more difficult," Gilson said. "A town without a library is like a
town without a soul."
Library trustee Carlton Hunt condemned the town's financial team,
including the selectmen and Advisory Board, for not presenting voters
with the full impact of a $2 million override failure prior to the vote
on Sept. 8. Since that vote, further costs associated with the layoffs,
such as sick time and vacation time payments, have created an even
greater deficit for the town to cover.
Fire and police officials also came forward recently with estimated
needs of more than $400,000 to cover overtime costs that would result
from staff reductions.
Paul Sullivan, the town's municipal administrator, and other financial
officers were able to scrape together about $1 million using the town's
anticipated free cash, proceeds from the sale of town-owned Roberts Road
property, and a $50,000 gift from Bridgewater State College.
But shoring up police, fire, and highway budgets, and covering layoff
costs, will use up the entire amount as well as money that would have
gone to the Senior Center, library and Recreation Department. Only about
$40,000 will remain available to cover unanticipated expenses for the
remainder of the year.
"This is us finally, really hitting the bottom," said resident and
longtime town volunteer Marilee Hunt. She said the change in figures
from the budget presented prior to the override has left "a lack of
trust in our public officials."
Resident Becky Demling, a devoted library patron, said "I think people
are in disbelief."
Demling said she voted for the override, but even those who opposed it
have repeatedly assured her officials would never shut down the library.
"On both sides, no one feels good about this town right now," Demling
said. "It will be interesting to see how officials go about bringing
this town together."
Lorraine Carrozza, director of elder affairs, said she was "completely
floored" by the board's decision to zero out the budget for the Council
on Aging and Senior Center.
One part-time staffer, an outreach worker partially paid through a state
grant, will continue to offer such services as insurance information and
fuel assistance, but that worker will have to relocate to some other
place, with the Senior Center closed.
"This isn't just a budget issue," Carrozza said.
"It's a community issue and a quality of life issue. This is a sad day
for Bridgewater."
The Boston Herald
Thursday, September 19, 2007
Lawmakers weigh system overhaul
By Casey Ross
Top state lawmakers said yesterday they’re ready to file legislation to
curb pension abuses after a Herald story detailed a sharp rise in
six-figure payouts to state retirees.
The leaders of a legislative committee examining pension costs said they
are weighing plans to outlaw the inclusion of housing allowances, travel
expenses and other reimbursement that former employees have used to pad
their pensions.
They are also targeting the practice of double-dipping, in which
employees who work two state jobs lump their salaries together to get
the maximum possible taxpayer-funded payout.
“It’s obvious when you look at the state pensions system that it’s a big
bill for taxpayers to foot,” said state Sen. Ben Downing, co-chairman of
the public service committee. “What we want to do is eliminate the
possibility for abuse of the system.”
The Herald reported yesterday that the number of six-figure state
pensions has increased by nearly 50 percent -- from 57 in 2005 to 85
today -- in the past two years alone. At least three pensioners
receiving $100,000 or more have recently added $15,000 to their payments
by successfully including housing allowances in the calculation of their
benefits.
Among those employees is William Bulger, former University of
Massachusetts president, who took his case to the state’s highest court
to increase his annual pension to $197,000, the state’s second-largest
payout. That case spurred at least 20 other state employees to follow
suit, a trend lawmakers are trying to curb as the Bay State’s pension
liability grows upward of $13.3 billion.
Lawmakers said they do not know how many retirees have engaged in
double-dipping, but there have been some notorious cases. The most
well-known is former Brockton police lieutentant Charles Lincoln, who
boosted his pensions to $140,000 by taking a second job at the Plymouth
jail three years before retiring, then called off sick 251 days.
State Rep. Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) said the cases of abuse are not the
norm and that most state employees receive modest, hard-earned pensions.
However, he added, the state must act quickly to close loopholes that
are being exploited too easily.
The Boston Herald
Thursday, September 19, 2007
Pols too scared to act on pen$ions
By Margery Eagan
Let me be honest. If I could retire in my 40s with a $134,578 annual
pension, I’d do it, too, like retired State Trooper Thomas Robbins, 49,
or Thomas McGilvray, who’s squeezing by on a mere $108,100 at the ripe
age of 47.
Why not?
This is the state cops’ deal: 60 percent of your pension after 20 years;
75 percent after 25 years.
And what a deal it is, particularly when troopers who’ve pulled me over
on the Mass Pike all look so fit and firm and fighting trim. I bet most
troopers could outrun a Boston cop -- no offense -- well into their 50s.
Maybe even their 60s. Which begs the question: How come they get to quit
in their 40s?
Answer: Because politicians are scared to death of state troopers. Most
any cops, actually.
“You should see the State House whenever there’s a bill pending that
(police) unions consider threatening,” anti-tax czarina Barbara
Anderson once told me. “The place fills up with policemen in uniform
-- very big policemen.”
“A sea of blue. In full regalia. And, by the way, they’re armed.” That’s
how Michael Widmer of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation described
the scene when former Gov. Bill Weld tried to get rid of another sweet
police deal: details.
They cost the state Highway Department alone about $5 million a year,
the new Massachusetts Transportation Finance Commission reports. That
doesn’t include costs paid by cities and towns or costs passed on to
consumers through utilities, which must use details, too.
Will we ever get rid of deals such as these? Said Widmer yesterday, “It
seems well nigh impossible.”
You want to know who could reform state police pension deals? “The
Legislature,” said Widmer. And eliminate details? Deval Patrick.
But Patrick has said before it’s not a top priority. No surprise. Asked
about support of details yesterday, neither Senate President Therese
Murray nor House Speaker Sal DiMasi could give me an answer. No surprise
either.
State Sen. Scott Brown, a Republican, has joined Barbara Anderson and
Stephen Silveira, head of the commission that just proposed the gas tax
hike, in insisting that reforms precede any tax and toll hikes.
“There’s so much angst and distrust in the public,” said Silveira. But
even Brown defended details yesterday. “I feel a lot safer with a police
officer than a flag man.”
Yet ditching details is third on finance man Silveira’s priority list,
followed by reining in MBTA fringe benefits, which he estimated would
save the state $1.1 billion over 20 years. T workers can retire with a
pension, by the way, after 23 years.
You want to know why the MBTA got what it got? Many will tell you it’s
about Paul Cellucci vs. Scott Harshbarger in the 1998 governor’s race.
“It was a close election, and T management folded to keep the unions
happy,” said somebody who was there, “and help Cellucci win.”
Who could fix the MBTA mess? Deval Patrick.
Here’s the top item on Widmer’s reform list: forcing cities and towns to
join the state’s health insurance pool, which he estimates would save
$2.5 billion over 10 years.
“We think the Legislature should’ve gone further and given
municipalities the authority to do it,” Widmer said.
As it is, the Legislature compromised. Almost no towns have joined;
local unions don’t like the idea. The Legislature could do something
about that, too.
In case you feel like letting legislators know you’d appreciate it,
their number is 617-722-2000. So is the governor’s. Maybe if pols were
as scared of voters as they are of cops and unions, we’d get some action
around here.
The Boston Herald
Friday, September 21, 2007
Free money, no wait at the state pension trough
By Howie Carr
Last year I was checking whether some hack -- I believe it was Fat Matt
Amorello -- was eligible for a state pension. He wasn’t, thank goodness.
But I asked the guy at the Retirement Board how much the bloated
ex-solon would someday be able to grab for his years in what is
laughably termed public service. He gave me Fat Matt’s take at age 55.
Then I asked what Fat Matt would get if he waited a few years past 55.
“Wait?” the guy said, incredulously. “Why would he wait? Nobody ever
waits if they can get it now.”
Which is why the latest addition to the Herald’s Find-A-Hack Web site is
such a public service. You can look up all those nice folks who used to
drive their state cars on the weekends, and who now winter in Naples,
Fla. A state kiss in the mail goes a lot further than a regular old
Social Security check, and it’s even better when you’re getting both the
state and the federal kisses.
The old tombstones say “Gone but Not Forgotten,” but these state hacks
on the Find-A-Hack Web site are “forgotten but not gone.”
Let me give an example: Peter Forman, ex-state rep and sheriff of
Plymouth County. In 2001 he went onto the payroll of accidental Gov.
Jane Swift (who, like Fat Matt, is still too young to start collecting).
Forman worked one of those special free-money-if-you’re-fired deals, and
even got Swift to testify that she dumped him. Worked like a charm.
Since 2002 Forman has been collecting $43,293 a year. “Retired” at age
41, who the hell does the sheriff think he is, a T bus driver or a state
trooper?
To save you the trouble, let’s go directly to the big jackpot winner --
William M. Bulger. Whitey’s younger brother receives $16,457 every
month, for a yearly total of $197,485.92. (Bulger’s longtime secretary
Patty Brett collects $5,025 a month.) But Bulger’s not the only college
president/state rep cashing out in a very big way. Come on down (to
Naples) David Bartley of Holyoke Community College -- $12,694 a month,
which works out to $152,325 annually.
Holyoke is next door to Springfield, home of Springfield Tech, run for
many years by Andrew Scibelli, who retired in 2004 and now grabs $12,607
a month.
As much money as these wrinkly ex-college presidents are making, it’s
only a matter of time until you read a headline: “Cops: children
collected ex-prez pen$ion for 4 years after death.”
It’s not only ex-college presidents raking in the mega-bucks. Take Ron
Story of UMass-Amherst, please. Used to be a history professor out in
Happy Valley, then briefly got a promotion. Now he’s collecting $104,250
a year in retirement pay. Did I mention that he’s married to Rep. Ellen
Story?
Here’s another blast from the past: Big Daddy Dave Constantine, the
former governor’s councilor. A dentist by trade, he retired as a special
assistant to the chancellor, at UMass-Dartmouth I believe. Now he gets a
small peck on the cheek -- $3,004.64 a month.
Worcester County sheriff Guy Glodis’ father was a state rep, Bill Glodis.
Bill Glodis is married to one Patricia A. Glodis. Would you care to
guess who the only two Glodises retired on state pensions are? Total
annual take: $154,692. Say, you don’t suppose William and Patricia
Glodis of Worcester are any relation to William and Patricia Glodis of
Yarmouthport?
Back in the mid-1990s, Sen. Lou Bertonazzi didn’t have the juice to win
the Senate presidency over Tom Birmingham. But the story has a happy
ending -- Lou got moved to Human Services with a big fat pay raise and
now is entitled to a pension of $60,939 a year, while Birmingham grabs a
mere $16,657 a year.
Treasurer Tim Cahill does a good job of prying convicted felons’ snouts
out of the trough -- just ask Tommy Taxes. But a mere probe means
nothing. You have probably never heard of a Springfield solon named
Athan “Soco” Catjakis -- a true sheep in sheep’s clothing, as they say.
Last time I thought about Soco was back in 2004, when the Springfield
paper ran a front-page photo of feds in windbreakers taking boxes of
stuff out of his garage in the Hungry Hills district. Something about
the Asselin family.
But Soco never got socked by the grand jury, and for the last 14 years,
he gets a kiss in the mail every month for $1,339.29.
So many names, so little space: Congressman John Olver, $27,158 a year
(another Happy Valley prof emeritus) and Congressman Bill Delahunt,
$57,623 (as an ex-DA, he collects at a cop rate). Then there’s ex-Gov.
Mike Dukakis, $30,033; ex-Gov. Paul Cellucci, $44,733, ex-House speaker
Tommy McGee $47,224 and ex-House speaker George Keverian $54,499.
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